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Absalon-class support ship
|module2= |Ship beam= |Ship draft= |Ship propulsion=2 x MTU 8000 M70 diesel engines two shafts |Ship speed= |Ship range= at |Ship boats=2 x RHIBs, 2 x SB90E LCP |Ship complement=100, plus aircrew and transients (accommodation for up to 300 in total) |Ship sensors=Thales SMART-S Mk2 3D volume search radar Terma Scanter 2100 surface search radar Atlas ASO 94 sonar 4 × Saab CEROS 200 fire control radars ES-3701 Tactical Radar Electronic Support Measures (ESM) |Ship EW=4 × 12-barrelled Terma DL-12T 130 mm decoy launchers 2 × 6-barrelled Terma DL-6T 130 mm decoy launchers |Ship armament='5 × StanFlex modules', typically: 3 × 12 RIM-162 ESSM SAM in Mk 48Mod3/ Mk 56 VLS 2 × 8 Harpoon Block II SSM Fixed weapons: 1 × 5"/62 Mk 45 mod 4 gun 2 × Mk32 Mod 14, each with 2 × MU90 torpedoes 2 × Millennium 35 mm CIWS 2 × 2 Stinger Point-defence SAM 7 × 12.7 mm M/01 LvSa HMG |Ship aircraft= 2 × EH-101 helicopters |Ship aircraft facilities=Aft helicopter deck and hangars }} }} The Absalon class are support ships of the Royal Danish Navy,Royal Danish Navy: Support Ships, ABSALON-class commissioned in 2005. Design The class is based on a frigate-like design, but built with an internal multipurpose deck (flex deck) and a stern vehicle ramp. The ships can serve as command platforms for a staff of 75 persons (naval or joint staff) with a containerized command and control centre, transport and base of operations for a company-sized landing force of some 200 men with vehicles. Alternatively, the flex deck can be used for mine-laying operations with a capacity of some 300 mines, or be fitted out for mine-clearing operations and launch and recover mine detecting and clearing equipment via a retractable gantry crane, adjacent to the stern ramp, which also is used for launching and recovering the fast landing craft. Furthermore the flex deck can support a containerized hospital or simply transport a number of ISO standard containers or some 55 vehicles including, up to 7 MBTs. The ships can carry two LCPs (Storebro SB90E), two rigid hull inflatable boats and two EH101 helicopters. The standard weapons of the Absalon class can be supplemented through the use of StanFlex mission modules. A special weapons deck (nicknamed the 'Bathtub') is designed with five StanFlex module slots. Because of the Bathtub's position, only missile-firing weapons modules can be installed. History The ships were named after two brothers, Esbern Snare and archbishop Absalon who led the naval campaigns in the 12th century against the Wends, a group of pagan Slavs in northern Germany. Production started at Odense Steel Shipyard on 30 April 2003, with the lead ship Absalon laid down on 28 November that year. Esbern Snare followed on 24 March 2004; they were both launched later that year. They were delivered on 19 October 2004 and 17 April 2005 respectively, and commissioned on 10 January 2005 and 17 June 2005. At this point they had the StanFlex modules installed, but would have to wait until 2007 for full operational capability, with the installation of the 35mm CIWS, Mk32 torpedo launchers and Seagnat/SBROC decoy systems. List of ships References External links * Danish Naval History * Admiral Danish Fleet Headquarters * Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization * HDMS Absalon Command and Support Ship - Flexible Support Ship * Naval Technology Category:Amphibious warfare vessel classes Absalon-class support ships Active amphibious warfare vessels of Denmark Category:Ships of the Royal Danish Navy Category:2004 ships